"Fear Not, You Are Mine" (Isaiah 43:1-7)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1).

Isaiah 43 begins with an unexpected thought: “But now thus says the Lord…” This is unexpected because the last verse of Isaiah 42 announced God’s burning wrath upon His people. So, why was God full of wrath? It’s because His people did not obey His Law, and they were blind and deaf to all that God had done for them. Because of their sins, God “poured the heat of His anger” (Isaiah 42:25) upon them. But His people still did not change. They did not repent. They remained spiritually blind and spiritually deaf.

 

Since God’s people ignored God, you may expect that God would call upon Isaiah to speak of a fierce judgment. Afterall, they deserved God’s judgment. God would be justified to punish such ungrateful and stubborn people to their own sins.

 

But He does the unexpected. Instead, God says, 

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1).

 

Now, these are some unexpected words of love and grace. Despite their spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness, despite their sin, God does not announce His judgment upon their sin. Instead, He says, “Fear not, sinner. Fear not My people. Instead of punishment and judgment, I will give you deliverance.”

 

His unexpected mercy comes for three reasons. 

 

First, the Lord says, “I have redeemed you.” While God’s people were spiritually blind and spiritually deaf, while God’s people were in bondage to their own sinful nature, and while God’s people were headed toward certain judgment, it was the Lord who purchased them out of their predicament. It was the Lord who redeemed them. 

 

And this was a recurring theme. God redeemed Israel when they were in bondage to Egypt. It would be true again when Israel would be taken as prisoners of war and exiled to Babylon. This remains true for every sinner. God has also rescued us from ourselves and rescued us from the consequences of our own sins and failures.

 

You see, the word “redeem” implies that God’s people – you and me – are helplessly trapped and unable to gain our own release from sin’s bondage. We can’t save ourselves. But God says, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you.” Now, that is an unexpected word of comfort and peace. 

 

Second, the Lord says, “I have called you by name.” Despite their unfaithfulness, their spiritual blindness and spiritual deafness, God focused on His people, not as a people group, but individually. You see, the “you” here is singular in Hebrew, not plural. It’s “you,” not “you all.”  This singular “you” denotes a focus that is individual and intimate, particular and personal.

 

God uses this expression, “I have called you by name” elsewhere in Scripture.

§  “The Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship…’” (Exodus 31:1-4).

§  “And the LORD called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me’” (1 Samuel 3:6).

§  “The LORD said to [Elijah], “What are you doing here, Elijah?’” (1 Kings 19:9).

§  “The LORD said to [Amos], “Amos, what do you see?” (Amos 7:8).

§  And: “The word of the LORD came to [Jeremiah], saying, ‘Jeremiah, what do you see?”(Jeremiah 1:11).

 

Naming is a claim of ownership. For Jesus says, “To [the Good Shepherd] the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). Jesus calls His sheep by name. He calls upon everyone who listens to His voice. Jesus calls you by your name.

 

And even more unexpected is what Jesus Christ accomplished for us on this day nearly 2,000 years ago. On this day, we recall how Jesus stood in a line that He didn’t need to stand in. He stood in a line with sinners waiting to be baptized by John the Baptist. 

When Jesus reached the end of the line and met John, John knowing that Jesus was righteous attempted to prevent baptizing Jesus, as he said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” (Matthew 3:14) But Jesus answered him saying, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).

 

This was a shock for John the Baptist. But it all made sense when Jesus was baptized as “the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased’” (Luke 3:21-22).

 

You see, through Christ’s lowering of Himself to a sinner’s baptism, He has affixed the Name of the Triune God upon us who have been baptized into Christ!

 

Third, the Lord says, “You are mine.” We are His possession. God says, “You are mine,” for He has created you. God is the ultimate Creator for He created everything “out of nothing” (Genesis 1:1). Just as God took Israel out of nothing to be His treasured possession, He creates the Church on earth today. St. Peter wrote, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). Although we were not God’s people, God created us to be His people as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession” (1 Peter 2:9). In those waters of Holy Baptism, God re-created us. He drowned the old Adam so that we would be His new creation in Christ.

 

These words of Isaiah 43:1 were sweet words of comfort for God’s people then. Those words gave comfort to God’s faithful people in the days of Isaiah. Despite all the hardship God’s people went through because of their sins, God claimed them as His special possession. Throughout all those troubled days in Babylonian bondage, these words of God sustained them.

 

These words of Isaiah 43:1 are also sweet words of comfort for God’s people today since He has redeemed us too, but from an even greater bondage. You see, by our sins, we were slaves of sin and thus we were in bondage to eternal death and eternal punishment. Then came Jesus. As He began His public ministry through a sinner’s baptism, He would complete His mission by redeeming us through His blood on Calvary’s cross. There, He redeemed us from the powers of sin, death, and hell.

 

Then, God called you by name when you were washed in the waters of Holy Baptism. And because of your Baptism into Christ, the Holy Spirit brought you to faith, and all who trust in Christ are His possession!

 

In Holy Baptism, Christ gives us His Robe of Righteousness that covers all of our sins. With His Robe, our shame is fully covered, He makes us holy, right, and good before God the Father.

 

Now, armed with Christ’s Robe of Righteousness, Jesus does not promise that we, who are in Christ, will escape all difficulty and pass through life without trouble. So, “when you pass through the waters, [God] will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2). By God’s power, Moses made a way through the Red Sea. That deliverance stood in the background of these promises. Just as the Lord had provided such deliverance in the past, He will provide an even greater deliverance in the future!

 

Here, God cites two dangers – water and fire. Water and fire symbolize all dangers God’s people would experience. And as God’s people – you and I – we experience the dangers of this fallen world and God Himself pledges His eternal protection. 

 

Today, the Lord, who created you, the Lord who formed you, the Lord who redeemed you claims you as His own! And even today, the Lord continues to form you and me through His Word. Yes, we often rebel and resist Him. We turn away and try other things to devote our time. Nevertheless, through His Word, the Lord continues to form us, shape us, and mold us to be His people. When we are out of shape and lazy because of our sins, the Lord remolds us with His mercy and grace. Through the confession of our sins, repentance and faith, the Lord reforms us daily in the assurance of forgiveness won for us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He loves us. We are His own!

 

God has made us His people, so let us confess Him and serve Him, He who created you, He who formed you, He who redeemed you. We belong to Him. We are His. So, fear not, He has called you by name, you are His! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Revealing God's Unexpected Grace" (Matthew 2:1-12)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:1-2a).

 

For “wise men,” these Magi were more foolish than wise. Now, these Magi were educated. They were educated at the universities of their day. They were educated as priests, astronomers and astrologers. Because of their education, they were influential advisors. But they also were men who knew a great deal about the occult arts. And they did not worship the God of Israel. So, nobody would have expected the Magi to search for the promised King of Israel prophesied in the Scriptures.

 

But on this day, as we observe the Epiphany of Our Lord, we find these unlikely men searching for the King of the Jews.

 

For these learned men, they likely learned about the Messiah for whom the Jews were waiting – from Daniel, who served as the presiding officer of the Magi during the Babylonian exile of the Jews. As learned men, they wanted to learn more about the culture around them, so they took seriously the prophecies of the Messiah. In today’s lingo, we could describe the Magi as agnostic. They were curious about the prophecy, but they were not devout believers in the Messiah. They were not Jews, but Gentiles.

 

One day as the Magi were looking up into the sky, they noticed something different. Something was off. They noticed a star that was unlike any other star in the night sky. This star wasn’t there before, and it didn’t act like any other star they had seen. 

 

As astronomers, these Magi noticed this star and they decided to follow this star, since it was moving in the sky. So, they travel west. And they may have recalled Numbers 24:17 which says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” Although the true context is that this “star” is the Messiah Himself and not a heavenly body announcing His birth. But again, these men were more foolish than wise.

 

But even in their foolishness, God leads these Gentiles west.

They follow a star, but they wind up not at Jesus’ birthplace in Bethlehem, but in Jerusalem. And when they arrive in Jerusalem, they act more like lost tourists as they say, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2)

 

As they wander around Jerusalem, knocking on doors and asking locals at the marketplace where the King has been born, they cause a stir.

 

Now, it was only natural for the Magi to come to the capital city of Jerusalem. That would be the city everyone would expect the King of the Jews to be born. But these men were certainly surprised when everyone they asked offered no information. And after a while, the news of the Magi asking questions came to Herod the Great.

 

Now, Herod had a mixed relationship with the Jews. He was a clever and capable warrior, orator and diplomat. He helped raise money for the poor in Jerusalem. He built theaters to entertain the people. He raised the money to remodel the Temple. But Herod was also cruel, merciless, and extremely jealous. He remodeled the Temple not for any other reason but to make a name for himself and to make Jerusalem a prominent Roman city. He had his wife’s brother drowned. He had his own wife murdered, as well as her mother and three of his own sons. And as Herod neared death, he had the most distinguished citizens of Jerusalem imprisoned for no other reason than that they would be executed at the moment of his own death, so that the people would mourn, since he feared there would only be rejoicing at his death.

 

So, Herod accomplished many building projects, but he was ruthless as king.

 

With all the stir, Herod assembled the chief priests and scribes to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. After searching the Scriptures, they told Herod, “In Bethlehem of Judea” (Matthew 2:5), which was just a few miles away.

 

Upon finding out the location, Herod summoned the Magi and questioned them. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him” (Matthew 2:8).

 

Now, Herod never had any intention to worship the Christ. He only pretended to want to worship Him. What Herod really wanted was the location of this Boy so that he could easily destroy this threat to his personal authority.

 

Then lone and behold, the star appeared to the Magi again. These lost tourists were back on the right road again as they arrived in Bethlehem. Now, like St. Peter, it wasn’t their smarts that revealed the way to the Messiah. Yes, these Magi may have been “book smart,” but they lacked “street smarts.” They lacked true faith. So, just as Jesus said to Peter, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17), it was God the Father using that star to lead the Magi to His only begotten Son.

 

“And going into the house, they saw the Child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11).

 

When they saw the Child Jesus, they fell down and worshiped Him. These foolish men came to faith.

 

You would have thought that the chief priests and scribes would have looked for the Messiah as soon as they saw the prophecy in Micah 5:2. But they didn’t. They remained in Jerusalem as if this was no big news. Often, when the Gospel goes out, it’s not the righteous, but sinners who respond. It’s not the strong, but the weak. It’s the tax collectors and prostitutes who repent. It’s often not the people you’d expect. 

 

The Magi would have returned to Jerusalem if not for being warned in a dream for they truly believed Herod wished to worship the Christ Child.

 

So, what does this all mean for us? The Magi asked everyone they saw in Jerusalem, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2a)

 

Now, it should not have been the Magi asking this question! It should have been the devout Jews who had the Scriptures available to them. The Epiphany moment here, the illuminating discovery, is that the Christ did not come only as the Savior for the Jews, but He came also as the Savior for the Gentiles! Jesus didn’t come as the Savior for a select few, but He came as the Savior for everyone!

 

Through the Magi, God in His wonderful and unexpected grace has revealed His Son to us. For Christ “is the propitiation – the atoning sacrifice – for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole word” (1 John 2:2).

 

The Lord’s leading of the Magi to Bethlehem proves that Jesus has come as the Savior of the world!

We are often like the Magi. If we were in their world of 2,000 years ago, we would have likely sought the King of the Jews in Jerusalem as well. Afterall, that is the expected place for a king to be born.

 

So, do you always look for Jesus in the right places? Maybe you expect Jesus to show up in places according to your expectations. And when you think He isn’t there, you may lose faith. Maybe you ask during struggles, burdens and worries, “Where are You God?”, “Where are You Jesus?”, and “Why don’t you answer my prayers?”

 

But how did the Magi truly locate Jesus? It really wasn’t the star. It was the scribes searching the Scriptures. That is how they got back on the right road. It wasn’t by their intellect – as their intellect only led them to the wrong city. You see, it was only by God’s revealing through Scripture – and then for added measure, God the Father dragging the Magi to the house in Bethlehem via His guiding star.

 

Today, God reveals Himself to us through means that our minds and intellect would not expect. Jesus is as present as He was with the Magi then as we read and hear the Scriptures. Today, Jesus is just as present as with the Magi as we receive His body and blood under bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and strength for our faith.

 

So, the next time you have your faith struggle, search for Jesus where He promises to be: His Means of Grace, His Word and Sacraments. Search the Scriptures, for there you will find Jesus and there He answers your prayers. So, read His Word, hear His Word and receive His grace for Jesus has come as Your Savior!

 

So, “arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 6:1) as Jesus has come revealing God’s unexpected grace to you! Happy Epiphany! Amen!

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Given Peace in God's Blessing" (Numbers 6:22-27)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“The Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them,

 The Lord bless you and keep you;

 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.’” (Numbers 6:22-26)

 

We hear those words known as the Aaronic Benediction at the conclusion of each Divine Service. What do those words mean to you? We hear them Sunday after Sunday, Monday after Monday, year after year.

 

Like so many things, when we get used to it, we may forget its meaning. Yes, you may have the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed memorized, but do you know what you are saying? Or is it just rote memory?

 

So, what about the Aaronic Benediction? What does it teach? What do those three phrases mean? You may think: the service is over, so it’s time to go home! Well, that is technically true, but those three phrases mean more than the service is over. 

 

You see, those three phrases of God’s blessing confront the reality of our sin. And to receive the Lord’s blessing implies that we need His blessing. By nature, we do not want to admit our need for God and for His blessing. So many of us live by the motto: “God helps those who help themselves.”So often, we would rather follow the example of the Israelites in turning away from God’s sure blessing and look instead to our own abilities for “blessing.” 

 

Afterall, who really does all the work as we gather around Word and Sacrament? Now, we all know Who does the work. But we don’t always act as if He is doing all the work! Afterall, we come to the Divine Service. He isn’t literally dragging us in! (Although our parents may have something to say about that!) 

 

So, we come to the Divine Service. We pray. We sing. We listen. We stand. We sit. We stand. We sit. We give. That’s what it often looks and feels like. And you may be tired after a Divine Service with all that sitting and standing and singing and praying. We are so often tempted to think that ourparticipation in the Divine Service is the only good work going on!

 

In today’s Old Testament lesson from Numbers 6, the Lord gave us the words of the Aaron Benediction so that we would not forget who is responsible for every blessing.

 

So, God gave Moses a special blessing for Aaron to pronounce upon God’s people. In referring to Himself, God uses the special name He has chosen for Himself – Yahweh, which is why each letter of LORD is capitalized. Through His name, the Lord presents Himself to us as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” (Exodus 34:6-7). As such a compassionate and gracious God, the Lord reaches out to us to bless us.

 

Also, we see in the Aaronic Blessing, three unique phrases where the LORD is repeated. What we have here is a reference to the Holy Trinity. As each of the Divine Persons carries out His work, the Triune God reaches out to bless all those who trust in the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. So, all three Persons are involved in our salvation. So, let’s look at these three phrases to see what they mean for us!

 

First, “the Lord bless you and keep you” (Numbers 6:24). This first phrase focuses on the work of God the Father. This blessing from the Father includes all aspects of life. So, wherever you look, you can see how the Lord blesses us through physical and material possessions that He gives to us. 

 

Luther’s explanation of the First Article of the Creed summarizes these blessings from God the Father, noting that the Lord has “given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses.” … He also “gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have.”

 

So, with this first phrase, “the Lord bless you and keep you,” we need only to look at where we live. Look at the food and furniture, the children and cars, the dishes and dresses, the suits and sofas, electricity, natural gas, and water. Count the many ways the Lord blesses you with these temporal gifts!

 

And beyond these temporal blessings, God the Father blesses us and keeps us as He answers our prayer requests! Just think about how often the Lord keeps us by preventing problems and dangers from overwhelming us! How zealously does He work to keep us from going to those places where we will be tempted to sin! 

 

At the same time, how loving the Lord is when He allows tests to come upon us! For He promises that He will also make a way of escape and that all things will work together for the good of those who love Him! 

 

Oh, how much He blesses us as He keeps us faithful to the Gospel to the end of our lives. For it is He who will deliver us from this present fallen world into the perfection of His glory in heaven.

 

Second, “the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you” (Numbers 6:25). This phrase focuses on the work of God the Son.

 

We are all sinful. We were all born into sin. It is our nature to rebel against God. So, the only hope for us is in the fact that God is gracious to us.

 

How clearly we see God’s love for us in the work of our Redeemer, who is called Jesus. Again, Luther does a good job in summarizing the blessings given to us in Jesus, “who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I might be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness.”

 

This is God’s grace! His undeserved kindness to us. For in Christ, God shows His love to us – a deep, profound love that loves us even when we don’t deserve it because of our sin. In such love, God makes His face shine upon us! So, just as the face of a glad new mother radiates love, so God looks at us, covering all our sins with the perfect redemption that Christ has purchased for us through His atoning death on the cross.

 

Third, “the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace” (Numbers 6:26). To no surprise, this phrase focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

The phrase, “the Lord lift up His countenance upon you” shows that the Lord gladly looks upon each of us as individuals.

 

How sad would it be if God would turn His back on you, ignore you, and leave you to what you truly deserve: eternal death apart from God. Thanks be to God that He does not do that! So, how wonderful it is that the work of the Holy Spirit is to turn us rebellious people into His children by leading us to faith in Jesus Christ!

 

The Holy Spirit gives the spiritually blind – sight by leading them to Christ, who is the Light of the world. As the Giver of life, the Holy Spirit gives life to the spiritually dead in their trespasses and sin. We – you and I – are miracles of the work of the Holy Spirit! As Luther says, for it is the Holy Spirit who has “called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.”

 

In this miracle of conversion, the Holy Spirit gives us peace as we know that through Christ alone we are reconciled to God. In this miracle, the Holy Spirit gives us certainty of faith. Now, we have a peace that will stand up to the fiercest trials. With the Holy Spirit anchoring us in faith, we can say with St. Paul, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

 

I also pray that you enjoy this peace each time I conclude my sermons as I say these words: “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen” (Philippians 4:7).

 

What marvelous blessings the Lord gives to us in the Aaronic Benediction! The Lord’s Divine power and His love stand behind each of those words!

 

To such a benediction, Christians of all ages have gladly said: “Amen!” So, may you no longer take those words for granted! To this blessing, we can say “Amen” to God the Father, our Creator and Preserver, who blesses and keeps us! We can say, “Amen” to God the Son, our Savior and Lord, whose face shines upon us and is gracious to us! We can say, “Amen” to God the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, who turns His face toward us and gives us peace! May the name of the Lord bless you in this New Year – and all the days of your life! Merry Christmas! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"As God's Chosen Ones" (Colossians 3:12-17)

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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).

 

Merry Christmas! The promise has been fulfilled, since the promised Messiah is born!

 

The birth of Jesus is a sign and a reflection of the heart of God the Father toward His people. The love He shows His people comes in the form of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. The embodiment of forgiveness and mercy comes in the form of the Christ Child in Bethlehem. 

 

Today, on this First Sunday after Christmas, we now turn our attention to the impact that Christ’s birth has on the world and the implication that His birth has on His faithful people.

 

You see, Christ’s birth changed the world. Christ’s birth changed you. From the very beginning, the Triune God – the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit – knew what He was going to do. He was going to save fallen man from their sins.

 

So, there in the manger is the fullness of God. He may be crying for His mother Mary’s attention for food and drink, but He knows why He has come. He has come to live the life God calls on all of us to live, but inevitably fail because of our sinful nature. He has come to receive a sinner’s baptism, to suffer and die for yours and my sins, so that by grace through faith in in Him, we would live forever.

 

Through the coming of Christ, He has fulfilled everything His Father asked of us. As we just proclaimed through singing today’s Hymn of the Day:

“He undertakes a great exchange,

Puts on our human frame,

And in return gives us His realm,

His glory and His name,

His glory and His name.”

(Let All Together Praise Our God, LSB 389 stanza 4)

 

As a result of Christ’s work, the image of God has been restored to all who cling to Jesus as their Lord. Now, this perfect righteousness and holiness is not seen now, but it will be seen in eternity.

 

Since Christ has redeemed His chosen ones – you and me – through His death and bodily resurrection, and through the work of the Holy Spirit at your baptism, we now live as new people. We are now holy and beloved. And as holy and beloved, we show this character toward others.

 

You see, the virtues of the Christian life are displayed toward other people, even when we display less-than-perfect conduct toward our neighbor.

 

So, the new Christian life ought to break with the old vices and be filled with Christian virtues. The virtues of the Christian life are to be permanent, distinguishing marks of the Christian.

 

By God’s grace, we have been made a special people, a people who belong to God and are united in fellowship with Christ. So, what are these distinguishing marks of a Christian? They are: “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12b-13).

 

Now, back in the time of St. Paul, lowliness and humility were attitudes that were thoroughly despised by the pagan world. And, not much has changed since then. It is still the same today. But lowliness and self-sacrificing humility are the characteristics of Jesus, who calls on us to imitate His humility. And where humility exists comes a peaceful atmosphere where we each count each other as better than yourself and we rejoice in serving others. 

 

Another distinguishing mark is gentleness. Sometimes when we think of being gentle, we think of “putting on kid gloves” by treating someone with extreme care to avoid causing any offense. This is not the mark of a Christian. We are not spineless. But we ought to exhibit gentleness in our dealings with others as we overlook insults in the spirit of forgiveness.

 

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus encouraged His disciples to cultivate a forgiving spirit. He taught them to pray: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us” (Luke 11:4). He forgave His enemies from the cross, and on that cross, He endured justice that makes the injuries we suffer at each other’s hands minor indeed. And even now, though we spurn His love, Jesus daily restores and forgives us.

 

If we truly understand His forgiveness, we should never question in our hearts about our willingness to forgive one another.

 

When St. Paul encourages mutual forgiveness, he is not speaking of a forgiveness with conditions. Jesus never put conditions upon His forgiveness. And the forgiveness that we give to one another should not have conditions, either. As God’s chosen ones, we are to offer immediate, unconditional forgiveness in the spirit of Christ.

 

So, what kind of forgiveness are you showing in your life? Are you placing conditions upon your forgiveness? If you are, it’s time to ask for help from your Savior on how to forgive. For where there is forgiveness, then quarrels, resentment and hatred are extinguished.

 

But did you know that God provides an opportunity for displaying Christian virtues and He even supplies the power in doing them? He calls on us to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).

 

The Scriptures should be more than something we hear on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings or something more than an invited occasional guest in our homes. The Word of God ought to inhabit our lives continually as it fills every corner of our lives with its blessed spiritual wisdom. The Word of God ought to be the hub that each Christian family revolves.

 

When the Word of God inhabits us, we grow in faith and knowledge and in Christian living, and we will be able to encourage one another and teach and admonish one another. When we ignore the Word of God or use the Scriptures infrequently and carelessly, we deprive ourselves of the Lord’s blessings. When we ignore His Word, we take off Christ as we choose to walk with the fallen world.

 

Even here in the Divine Service, God supplies the power in doing Christian virtues. Through the proclamation of the Word of God, and through prayer, music and song, He empowers us for faith and life. Through “singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,” we give praise and thanksgiving to God. 

 

In the Divine Service, God leads us through Scripture, prayer, and song to right belief. This Latin phrase is true “Lex orandi, lex credendi,” which means what you pray is what you believe. So, through spoken voice and song, through spoken prayer or silent prayer, you are what you eat. There was a good reason the Roman Catholics of Luther’s time were concerned with the people singing Luther’s hymns as they said, “The people are singing their way into Luther’s doctrines.” Now, to be sure, those doctrines in Luther’s hymns are not Luther’s, but God’s. However, the gist of their comment is true. So, what we consume has a profound effect upon our beliefs.

 

As “God’s chosen ones,” there ought to be no division between the sacred and the secular as Christ accompanies us in all facets of life.

 

So, “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). We give thanks to God, since there is no truer friend than He. Merry Christmas! Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +